Nut-lock



UNITED YSTATES PATENT Trice.

GEGRGE HEFFNER, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

NUT-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 361,515, dated April19, 1887.

Application filed January 13, 1887. Serial No. 224,172. (No model.)

To all whom, if may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE HEFFNER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State lofKentucky, have invented new and useful Improvementsin Nut-Locks, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in nut-locks; and itconsists incertain peculiarities in the construction and combination of a sh-plateand a nut-locking bar for railroadrails, as hereinafter more fully setforth.

In thelannexed drawings, illustrating the invention, Figure 1 is aperspective viewvof my improved nut-looking devices applied to tWoabutting railroad-rails. Fig. 2 is 'a perspective v iew of a nut-lockingbar detached. Fig. 3 is a similar view of a modified form of nut-lockingbar. Fig. 4 represents a key for holding the nut-locking bar in place.

Referring to the drawings, the letter A designates portions of tworailroad-rails with their ends abutting, and Bis a fish-plate, having abase-flange, B', that overlaps the railfoot. Thescrew-bolts Care passedthrough the rails and fish-plate, as usual, and are secured by nuts D,in the ordinary manner.

Along the upper surface of the fish-plate flange B is formed alongitudinal rib or shoulder, a, -which is broken at intervals bynotches or recesses b, of sufficient width to afford space forconveniently using a wrench to tighten or loosen the nuts. In the outeredge of the fish-plate flange B are notches or recesses c, for passageof the spikes that secure the rails to the ties.

The rib or shoulder a, that extends longitudinally along the uppersurface of the fishplate iiange, forms a groove or channel beneath thenuts for the reception of a lockingbar, E, to prevent the nuts fromturning or working loose. This nut-locking bar E consists of a flatstrip of metal a little longer than the fish-plate and of sufficientwidth and thickness to fit closely in the groove or channel formed bythe rib c and press against the under edges of the nuts, therebypreventing them from turning on the screw-bolts. The nut-locking bar Eis driven into place behind the rib or shoulder a from one end of thefishplate after the nuts have been screwed onto the bolts.

In order to prevent the nut-locking bar E from being displaced, I maysecure it by means of a key, F, driven into one of a series of notches,d, formed in the outer edge of said bar, las shown in Figs. 1 and'2, andthrough a corresponding opening in the fish-plate baseilange. The key Fis preferably made T- shaped, as shown in Fig. 4, its head e beingadapted to rest on'the upper surface of the locking-bar. The lower endof the key F is formed with a rabbet, f, or reduced in thickness, toenable it to be readily bent at a right angle beneath the base-flange Bof the fishplate after it has been driven into position, as shown bydotted lines in Fig. 1. This key can be made of tough pliable metal, toenable its lower rabbeted end to be easily bent beneath the fish-plateand to be straightened again when its withdrawal is required.

Instead of securing the nut-locking bar E in the manner above described,I may provide it at one end with an offset, g, having an eye, h, asshown in Fig. 3, for passage of a spike or bolt to fasten it to one ofthe ties.

I am aware that a railroad-rail joint has heretofore comprised afish-plate having al base-flange on which rests a locking bar or platearranged beneath the nuts to hold them from turning, said locking bar orplate being held in place by the same spikes that secure the rails andfish-plate to the road-bed, as shown, for instance, in Patents No. 29,285, to Bayley, July 24, 1860, and No. 275,188, to Getz, April 3, 1883.In suoli nut-locks for rail-joints the sh-plate base-flange is sometimesprovided along its outer side with an upwardly-projecting rim,formingagroove beneath the nuts for reception ofthe lockingbar, as shownin Patent N o. 197,606, to Gallman, November 27, 1877. .I am also awarethat in a compound rail composed of inner and outer sections a platehaving a recessed upper edge has been secured beneath the nuts by meansof a spike driven from the outside, as shown in Reissue Patent No.5,308, to McKenney, March 4, 1873. In addition to the ordinaryspike-fastening, the locking-bar has sometimes been provided on eachside of a sleeper with perforated lugs to receive keys for preventingend movement of the bar, as shown in Patent No. 159,706, to Noonan,February 9, 1875. My invention differs from lOO each of those abovereferred to in comprising a sh-plate having a base-flange provided witha shoulder which is broken at intervals by notches or recesses to affordspace for turning the nuts, a straight and fiat locking-bar locatedbehind said shoulder'and beneath said Y fish-plate and secured bybending its end beneath said iish-plate. The nut-locking bar E is thussecured by means independent of the spike-fastenings that hold the railsand fish; plate in position, thereby imparting additional strength andsecurity to the rai1-joiut, and enabling the nuts and bolts to bereadily adjusted whenever required.

What I claim as my invention is The combination of the rails A, thefishplate B, having a base-flange, B', provided with a shoulder, a, inwhich are formed recesses b, that coincide with the position of thebolts and nuts, the bolts G and nuts D, located above said recesses, aat straight locking-bar, E, having recesses d in its outer lateral edge,said bar being located behind the shoulder a and immediately beneath thenuts, and an independent fastening consisting of the key F, engaged inone of the recesses el and passed down through the base-ange of thefish-plate, with its lower end '.bent over beneath said iisl1-.plate,substantially as described.

. In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of twowitnesses. A

GEORGE HEFFNER.

Vitnesses:

JAMES L. NoRRIs, J. A. RUTHERFORD.

